Our family is doing the Whole 30 and we are almost finished with week one. YAY!!! The weather turned cold here in TX and it even snowed (iced) a bit. Y’all, when I say that it turned cold….it was freezing! I’m not a fan of cold weather and I don’t want to leave my house until spring. Normally on snow days, we will snuggle up by the fire, read a book or watch a movie and eat popcorn. As soon as I saw the snow flurries, my mind turned to my comfort food. Of course, I ignored the craving but isn’t it funny how we associate certain things with comfort food. Oh the struggle….

We have a busy week coming up, so I took that into consideration when planning the menu. Most of our breakfasts are simple. We love eggs and it doesn’t bother us to eat it everyday. Tristyn takes co-op classes so we are on the go several days and our lunches are mainly leftovers. I also plan to utilize my kitchen helpers (Instant Pot and Crock Pot) as much as possible durning the Whole 3o.

Usually, week 1 brings detox symptoms and die-off. If you are struggling with detox symptoms (nausea, exhaustion, headaches, cravings, or crankiness), know that this is normal. Keep going. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water (add lemon), take detox baths, take a good Probiotic, (this one is my favorite), make sure you are eliminating, and get plenty of rest. If you are tired, rest. Let your body recover….and don’t feel guilty about it!!

*This weekend we will be at a volleyball tournament. My girl likes to eat after ever. single.game. We will pack chicken salad because it is plenty of protein, grapes, strawberries, mini-peppers, raw nuts, and RX bars.

I’m using my Insta-stories and Instagram to show what I’m eating and how I cook things. Feel free to follow me here.

January is one of my favorite months of the year! It reminds me that He makes “all things new.” After the holidays, my body needs a reset. Usually, I am good around Christmas and I rarely eat sugar….that was until I tried Christmas Crack. It’s called crack for a reason!! I’m ready for another round of Whole 30.

I love doing a Whole 30 but it is more fun when you have a group of friends who do it with you. This year I have a few friends who wanted to do it with me. We’ve started a Facebook group where we will share recipes, tips and hold each other accountable. It is so inspiring to see what others are cooking and how they are enjoying the Whole 30. I love linking arms with others who have the same goals as me. (Feel free to email me, if you would like to be added to our group. Everyone is welcome.)

We will begin on January 3rd. If you aren’t familiar with the Whole 30, be sure to check out their website. Their belief is that “every single thing you put in your mouth is either making you more healthy or less healthy.” It makes you think about your the food you eat.

My passion is clean eating and one of the things I’ve learned over the years is that you must plan your meals. If you don’t plan your meals, you will get home at 6:00, exhausted and hungry….and want to order a pizza. My motto is “Fail to plan, plan to fail!!”

My goal is to plan out my meals on Thursdays, go to the grocery store on Fridays and meal prep on either Saturday or Sundays. That may sound like a lot, but it is actually simple. I’ve learned over the years, that if I don’t invest in my health and take care of me, no one else will do it. Eating clean is a huge part of taking care of me. I’ve learned through years of having stomach issues that I must eat clean. Plus, I know my girls are watching and I believe if we don’t teach them how to meal plan, cook and eat healthy, who will teach them? Tristyn will help plan our meals and also do some of the cooking. I know that my older girls who no longer live at home are also doing the Whole 30!

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I use the website Plan to Eat for my menu planning. It is so nice to have all of my recipes in one spot. If I find a recipe I like on Pinterest, I simply import it to my it to my recipe book. It will even put together a grocery list for me!!

I plan to make bone broth each week so roasted chicken will be on my menu. If you’ve never made bone broth, don’t be intimidated. It is so easy…especially if you have an Instant Pot. Most of the time I will have a cup of broth with my breakfast..

Summer has kicked my tail when it came to planning and cooking healthy meals for me and my family. I’ve definitely fallen off the “clean eating” wagon. I could give you a million reasons as to why, but really all that matters is that I’m ready to get back to my old self again.

My husband and I are starting another round of Whole 30. It will be my third. It is my favorite way to eat. Even though I’ve been paleo for years, I’ve been finding more reasons to sneak in those non-paleo things like tortilla chips!! (Can I get an amen!)

I feel better when I’m 100% clean, but that isn’t realistic, so the Whole 30 is the next best option for me. I can do anything for 30 days!! We will probably do a Whole 40, which is the number of days until our trip to Hawaii!!

If you are unfamiliar with Whole 30, check out their website. It is very informative. Pinterest also has some wonderful recipes. I’ve been pinning some of my favorite.

The secret to success for eating paleo and Whole 30 is….PLAN YOUR MEALS. Seriously. Fail to plan, plan to fail.

I found a really cool site to plan my menus. My friend, Kelly, told me about it and now I’m addicted! It’s called Plan to Eat. This website is genius. I’m doing the 30 day free trial right now, but I will be joining at the end of it. Everything I need to plan for my menu is stored in my account. I can add recipes from pinterest or even my blog. The best part is when you are finished with your menu, they put together the grocery list for you!!! (Y’all, I’m not getting paid to say this. I really just love the site.) You need to check it out. The first time I looked at it, I thought I wouldn’t use it. I went back a second time and decided to try if for free. Oh my word. I’m having so much fun adding new recipes!

This month we start volleyball so I already know that I’ll be gone most of the evenings. I know that I need to plan my meals accordingly. What do I do? Plan meals using my Instant Pot. I’ve only made a few meals with it, mainly bone broth, but I’m excited to use it more often.

I didn’t add my breakfasts and lunches this time because I plan to keep those simple. I’ll eat eggs and veggies or eggs and 1/2 an avocado. For lunch I’ll salad or leftovers this week. I know all of these meals will make enough for leftovers. My goal is to keep things simple so I’m not in the kitchen all day.

Do you see this group of people? Well, they are pretty amazing. When I mentioned that all of us would be participating in the Whole 30 in January, they jumped on board. Well, maybe not jumped….but they stepped on board….slowly. But now that we are 11 days in, they aren’t just participants….they are rocking this Whole 30 thing. We are having so much fun cooking and coming up with new recipes.

Tristyn went to youth group and came home and said that her favorite chips were there and she didn’t eat one! Honestly, I’m sure she said something like, “my mom is making us eat clean so I’m not allowed to eat that!” Whatever she did, she made a healthy choice. I’m sure they all prayed for Tristyn that evening because her mom is a bit over the top!! Ha!!

I want you to know that it is possible to for you andyour family to eat clean. I promise.

One of my clean eating tips is to plan your meals. You must plan your meals if you want to be successful eating clean. Do not wait until you are hungry to decide what you are eating for supper. Normally on Whole 30, you don’t snack much, but if you have children, you will need to have snacks. Make sure you have lots of fruits, raw nuts, Lara Bars, and almond butter available for easy snacking.

I thought I’d share what we are eating this week. (If I share a recipe, I may modify it to make it Whole 30.) I also make big portions of food so we can eat on it for several days.

Monday

B: Eggs with peppers and spinach, topped with avocado and homemade salsa

Happy New Year, friends! I love the new year! I’m a huge planner and goal setter. I’m sure I drive my family crazy because I’m always asking them what their goals are and if they have written them down. January is one of my favorite months, not because of the weather, but because it is a clean slate and anything is possible.

This January, our family is doing the Whole 30. What is the Whole 30? It is similar to paleo, but for 30 days straight, eat meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. Eat foods with very few ingredients. This is my 2nd Whole 30 and my family’s first. They weren’t excited, but now everyone is on board and we are having a great time.

As a avid clean eater, I wanted to share a few tips that may help you be successful.

Plan your meals. I know you’ve heard this quote many times, but “fail to plan, plan to fail.” Especially when you are eating clean, you must plan your meals. You don’t want to be starving and end up at the drive through trying to make healthy choices. Make a menu and get to the grocery store.

Create an atmosphere where you want to cook. When we put away our Christmas stuff, I left my counters clear. I wanted as much space as possible for me and my girls to prepare meals. I have plenty of cutting boards, sharp knives and lots of fresh ingredients to cook our meals. My dad and step mom bought me the most wonderful knives for my birthday. It has been so much fun preparing food with good knives! Sometimes I have so much decorations on my counters that I’m always moving things around. It has been nice allowing the kitchen to “breathe.”

3. Clean out your refrigerator and pantry. If it’s not there, you won’t eat it. Get rid of the junk!!! Make room for fresh fruit and vegetables.

4. Enlist your kids to help. This is a great time to teach your kids how to read labels. Kids can also be great helpers in the kitchen. Have them wash the fruits and vegetables. When my girls were younger, they would tear the lettuce for salads until they were old enough to use a knife. When you allow them to help in the kitchen, they are more likely to eat the new vegetables that are served.

5. You can do anything for 30 days. Make up your mind that you are ready for a change and DO IT! It’s only 30 days!!

6. Find a support group. Almost all of my close friends are doing this with me. I get lots of texts telling me to hold them accountable. If you need a support group, email me and I’ll add you to our facebook page.

7. Grace. It doesn’t matter where you are starting and if you have been eating bad for a month, 5 years or 10 years. Today is a new day! His mercies are new every morning. I often hear from people that are so angry at themselves because they have allowed themselves to put on weight or “let themselves go.” Okay, let it go. Make today different and do something new. Make a change. Give yourself grace and move forward.

8. Learn to try new things. Try new vegetables. Expand your taste. Learn to eat your food without ketchup. Learn to drink your coffee black. (I did that for the first time last week and I didn’t die!!) You can do it. It’s only for 30 days.

9. Keep things simple. Most of the time I eat the same thing for breakfast. It is absolutely delicious, so why do I need to change. When you eat clean, you just need meat and veggies. Your recipes shouldn’t be difficult. For lunch, I will cut up a chicken breast, onions and peppers and saute in coconut oil. I will top with an avocado and homemade salsa. It takes 15 minutes and it is amazing!! Be creative.

I will do my best to post my menu this week, but in the meantime my favorite things to have on hand:

One of my favorite summer meals is chicken salad, and when I started eating paleo, it was one of the meals that I missed eating. After I started making my own mayonnaise (which is so easy) I now make paleo chicken salad several times a month. It is a wonderful summer meal! I don’t really use a recipe but after my clean eating class, several people asked for my recipe, so here it is! Be creative, though, and add whatever you like.

Roast your chicken in the oven, or you can even boil it. Once the chicken is cooked through, cool completely. Remove all the chicken from the bone, and chop it in bite-sized pieces. It comes to about 4 cups of chicken. Toss chicken in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir in mayonnaise. I prefer creamy chicken salad so I use almost the entire batch of mayo. Mix well. Chill in refrigerator before serving.

If you are short on time, you can use your food processor to dice everything, even the chicken. Sometimes, if I don’t have much time to cook supper, I will buy a roasted chicken at Costco.

I’ve been slicing the tomatoes from our garden and serving the chicken salad on top the tomatoes.Oh my! It’s delicious! I also like to serve the salad in a lettuce wrap.

Life is full of surprises and the Lord never ceases to amaze me. Y’all know I love helping people get well? Well, I absolutely love it!

For years I’ve struggled with my energy, candida, and gut issues, which is why I eat paleo. My body does much better without grains, dairy and sugar. I’ve also added plexus products, which have changed my life. I feel better than ever!! My little business has grown so much and I’m so thankful. My business is more than just telling people to buy plexus. I really just love helping transform their health. I spent too much of my life exhausted, struggling with migraines, mood swings…did I mention EXHAUSTED….that I really want to help others. I love sitting down with people and helping them with a plan.

After much prayer, I decided to start teaching Clean Eating 101 and Plexus Wellness classes. (I forgot to take pictures, so I took this off someone’s FB.)

It was a stretch for me to do something out of my comfort zone. I really didn’t know if anyone would show up, but I had to trust the Lord. I also knew there was a need. I was spending a lot of time answer text messages, facebook messages, and emails from people who had lots of questions on how to get started eating better. Well, I jumped in and my first class was a huge success. Seriously. I used every chair in my house and there were people on the floor. My first class I had food for people to sample, but since my classes are free, I can’t do that every time. My next class was full, too. They were so much fun and I’m so thankful for everyone who came over….but you know the best part…..I love seeing people change and start feeling better! I know it can be overwhelming to make changes. I don’t expect everyone to eat paleo, like me, but I think we can all do a few things to clean up our diet.

I believe it is important to get control of your health. Why? I truly believe that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. How can we effectively minister to our husbands, children, community, when we are sick and tired? We feel better about our self when we are in shape. We need to be living life to the fullest: emotionally and physically. Toxins from foods and processed foods put our bodies under stress. Equip your body so you can go longer and stronger for your family, yourself and for the Lord.

If you want information about my classes, feel free to email me. Did I mention they are free? I’m not a doctor or a dietitian, I’m just using my years of research and trial and error to help others.

Also, I will be sharing some new recipes soon and also some tips on how to transform your health. 🙂

A few years ago, Taylor and I attempted to make homemade mayonnaise. It was an epic fail. It was the worst tasting mayo. ever. We tossed it in the trash and decided that eating mayo just wasn’t that important to us.

A few days ago my friend, Lisa, posted on Facebook that she had the best mayo recipe, so I decided to try again…dreaming of one day eating paleo chicken salad and deviled eggs!

It was a success. This is the recipe that Lisa shared with me. I started searching through all my favorite paleo sites and made a few tweaks with the ingredients to the ones I had on hand. Guys, homemade mayo is AMAZING!!! Like you could eat it with a spoon.

Just a few tips before you begin:

Make sure everything is room temperature!

Add the oil SLOWLY!!! I spent several minutes adding the oil. SLOW IS BETTER. This is key!

I used a food processor and it worked great. You can also use a blender.

Do NOT substitute regular olive oil for avocado oil. Trust me. This will result in the worst tasting mayo ever. You can, however, substitute light tasting olive oil for avocado oil. I haven’t tried it, but I hear it’s wonderful.

I made these chicken tacos last night and they were delicious. The only problem was I didn’t double the recipe.

Most of the time when I’m creating my own dish, I do not measure out the spices. When I write it down for the blog, I’m estimating what I used. Don’t be afraid to add what you think will be good!

When making paleo tacos, I love using butter lettuce but any lettuce will do. If you aren’t paleo or on the Whole 30, you can even eat it on taco shells. Add as many toppings as you like. I only had tomatoes on hand, but throw on a few slices of avocado!!

Another round of Whole 30 is going on at my house. Have I mentioned that I love it? My body loves it. I’ve learned to embrace eating what works with my body. Grains and sugar don’t work. My body swells….and lots of other things happen with my body that I will spare you the details. If you are eating clean, make sure you stick with it for 30 days so you know how your body feels. It takes 2 weeks for grains to leave your body.

Towards the end of last year, I rarely cooked, which caused us to eat out way too often. I was burned out on eating clean and cooking. Well, since I need to eat this way, I knew I needed to make some changes.

Here are a few things I did to find my love of cooking clean again:

1. I’ve made sure my fridge is stocked with lots of veggies, eggs, and meats. I add a variety of veggies each week instead of the same ones, which can get boring. Try new vegetables like turnips, brussel sprouts, asparagus, eggplant, kale and cauliflower.

2. I make sure I have things in my pantry so I can bake if I want to and also if I need to throw a quick meal together. I make sure I’m stocked with chicken stock, coconut flour, almond flour, canned tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, coconut creme, and coconut milk. Also, try new spices.

3. I plan ahead with my menus to give me time to go to the grocery store.

4. I add 1-2 new recipes each week and also try new vegetables.

5. I have a group of friends who share ideas and hold each other accountable. I love my plexus team!!

6. Soups!!! I’ve loved making soups this winter. I was never a soup person growing up, but I’ve loved learning to make new soups and stews.

Okay, now for my weekly menu. Guys, it’s FREEEZING here in North Texas. I was telling Mark today how blessed we are to have a warm home and a fridge and pantry full of food. I don’t think I will ever take it for granted.